Go Green With Your Own Indoor Garden

Have you thought about or even tried to start a garden without any luck? Organic Gardening magazine's contributing editor Matthew Benson demystifies the gardening process and offers growing tips for 10 of the most popular herbs.

Before you get started, here are a couple things every amateur needs to know about the growing process.

Smart Techniques for Growing Herbs Indoors

Rooting a Cutting

Many herbs, including oregano, thyme, rosemary and sage, are best propagated for indoor growing by taking a cutting from an existing outdoor plant. To do it, snip off a 4-inch section, measured back from the tip. Strip off the lower leaves and stick the stem into moist, soil-less mix, such as perlite and-or vermiculite. To ensure good humidity, cover with glass or clear plastic, and keep the growing medium-moist.

Before the first fall frost (while the weather is still on the mild side), start moving your potted herb plants toward their winter home. Instead of bringing them directly inside, put them in a bright, cool "transitional zone," such as a garage, entryway or enclosed porch for a few weeks.

Once they've acclimated, move them to an area with lots of sun (south-facing windows are brightest, followed by east or west views). But protect them from heat and dryness. Most herbs prefer daytime temperatures of about 65 to 70 degrees, although they can withstand climbs into the 70s. It's especially important that night temperatures drop at least 10 degrees -- down into the 50s would be better -- to simulate outdoor conditions.

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With the exception of basil, they'll even do well with occasional dips into the 40s. (So turn that thermostat down when you go to bed.) Place them outside on mild days, and give them regular baths to wash off dust.

Water, Light and Temperature

Most herbs like to be well watered but don't like wet feet. That's why good drainage is important. Water when the top of the container feels dry, or learn to judge the moisture in the soil by the weight of the pot. Add sand or vermiculite to the potting soil to ensure good drainage.

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Learn to juggle water, light and temperature. An herb in a clay pot in a south-facing window will need more water than one in a plastic pot in an east, or west, facing window. If the light is low, keep the temperature low.

Indoor Gardening Tips

Pest Prevention

Choose the soil for your indoor herbs carefully. A good commercial potting soil is fine, or for a deluxe mix, blend one part potting soil with one part compost and one part vermiculite, perlite or sand (or a mixture of all three).

Resist the temptation to use disease- and pest-prone garden soil. And when you pot up garden-grown plants, remove as much of the garden soil as possible without damaging the roots.

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Keep such transplants separate from your other house plants while you're gradually acclimating them to the indoors. If you see insects on a plant during this "quarantine," leave it outside.